An opportunist species foraging in a range of habitats, including riparian vegetation, forest edges, farmland, and urban areas, where it often feeds near streetlamps (Salinas-Ramos et al. 2020). Summer roosts are typically found in buildings, whereas hibernation takes place in rock crevices or deep, narrow spaces of human-made constructions. In Italy, colonies in urban and suburban areas advanced parturition and produced more offspring than colonies in rural areas (Ancillotto et al. 2015). Competition for artificially illuminated sites with Pipistrellus pipistrellus has been reported for central Italy (Salinas-Ramos et al. 2020). Diet includes Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera (reviewed in Amichai and Korine, 2020).

In Europe, the species has shown a ca. 394% range expansion in the last four decades, reaching higher latitudes in response to climate change (Ancillotto et al. 2016). Amichai and Korine (2020) provide the most updated distribution, based on morphological or molecular species identification, which spans from Iberia to Eastern Europe (Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Russia). Recorded as a vagrant in the UK (Amichai and Korine 2020; not shown on map) and in Belgium (N. Bouillard pers. comm.). The range’s northern limits have shifted from the historical values of 46°-47° N to the current 53°-54° N. The species is found at altitudes comprised between the sea level and 1,500-2,000 m asl (Amichai and Korine 2020). It also occurs in Ceuta and Melilla. The AOO and EOO have not been estimated, but based on the available locality records, they are expected to greatly exceed the threshold for a threatened category.

Kuhl's Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus kuhlii) is present in some regions of Africa and ranges eastwards to areas of Western Asia, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and India (Molur et al. 2002). There is a single record from China (Smith and Xie 2008). The range of altitudes where this species can be found varies between 0 and 2,000 m asl.

The species is protected by national law in most European range states. It is also protected under international legislation in parts of its range through the Bonn Convention (Eurobats) and the Bern Convention, and it is included in Annex IV of the EU Habitats & Species Directive. It is found in many protected areas across its range. No specific conservation actions are required apart from roost protection. Although this species is not at risk, the protection of roosts in buildings is an important action to ensure the long-term survival of this species (and the ecosystem service it provides by consuming insects that are harmful to agriculture and human health) in farmed and urban landscapes.